What impact can technology have on adult learning?
Let's face it; online learning is today's learning, no matter if you are a dinosaur or reluctant for change. Online learning goes hand in hand with technology, and this mainly shapes the way we learn. With this learning, we have more opportunities for unleashing our creativity. Technology is simply an extension of us. Thoughtfully designed learning environments can help students unleash creativity as they work with laptops, mobile, and tablets to express their ideas. The technology is here, and as a result of its availability, we can freely speak and have the courage and bravery to be expressive and creative with our words. It also helps that there is a bevy of web 2.0 tools that can aid in expressing our voices. Think about the possibilities Wikis, video, audio, programming, and any other aids we have to help us communicate. I guess what I am trying to say is technology affords us the opportunity to “paint” our expression in the world around us.
Technology enables learning anywhere; teachers now have the ability to design lessons to take full advantage of engaging students individually, in groups or as a whole class. Learning was at a time only a place where you needed to go to and take advantages of the resources at a campus. Technology is simply at the touch of you phone or tablet. It has changed the idea of traditional school and enables students to maintain their lives with the ability to complete courses at their leisure.
What should online instructors consider before incorporating technology into the online learning environment?
Student proficiency and knowledge
Instructors should learn about their students, in any way they can to understand how well versed they are with technology and the practices of online learning. Sometimes this is taken as a step in the enrollment process, other times the student will be an empty vessel, ready for their steps into online learning. Instructors have a responsibility to ascertain what knowledge they are going to be presenting and how the syllabus and rubrics play a part in this learning process.
Vision and Plans.
Online instructors need to have a vision and plan for their curriculum. It is a crucial part of the online learning environment. Technology certainly has made it easier for us to find an easier way, but that is the trap we need to be highly cognizant of. A vision and plan will give the learners a concrete reason to be in your class. Often the online system is already in place with the syllabus and lesson pre-built for the instructor, and many times they feel that the work has already been done for them in working. This is not the case if the instructor is not fully engaged in the assignments, discussion and importantly with the students.
Curriculum
Sometimes the curriculum is supported by the school, and many time created after years of assessment from former students. There might not be much for the instructor to do. However, the curriculum is imperative, and the instructor should heed the path set forth and follow closely to the syllabus and assignments put out by it. If there isn’t a curriculum in place for the course, there will be that much more work to do to create one.
Staff Training and Support
When instructors decide to incorporate technology into the curriculum, ensure that there is a level of staff training and support for the students as well as anyone involved in using that technology. Support is often helpful when students get lost in the technology or are needed some service. We do not all have the same device and not all of us are working on tablets or traditional PCs. For this reason, there can arise many difficulties with the technology whether it is a video presentation or some software. There will always be bugs for every little thing.
Student Training and Support
Some universities or courses offer students a chance to “pretend” to take an online course. You might have seen this as a prerequisite when you enrolled in an online class for the first time. The idea was to get the students fully engaged and trained on how to use the tools, resources, and items related to the online learning environment. Online instructors need to have an idea that this aid in support was available to the students.
What implications do usability and accessibility of technologies have on adult learning?
Usability and accessibility do somewhat overlap, but have very different impacts on the learner. For those of us without a disability, not being able to get to course content easily or finding the course not useable may generally create a nuisance, a frustration or an inconvenience – this is a usability issue. For individuals with disabilities, such issues are not just frustrating, they may create barriers to learning – an accessibility issue.
Yates (2005) emphasizes that usability and accessibility not be one and the same; a website might be useable, but not accessible (p.182), or vice versa. Combining usability, or the ease of use for a website (p. 183), and accessibility, the extent a website removes barriers to individuals with disabilities (p. 184), equals an enhanced user experience for all. Examples of similar or like aspects of accessibility and usability include consistent navigation, the ability to change screen font size and links that are labeled to indicate where they lead. Attention to the nuances between accessibility and usability have a positive impact on the design of a good online learning experience, allowing ease of use for everyone, and access for individuals with disabilities.
What technologies are most appealing to you for teaching online? Explain.
I like the discussion board because it is too easy. Sometimes it is so easy that you do not need to do the assignments, and practically it would be possible to pass the class. Besides that, some of the unique technologies I like are sharing projects with the aid of sharing technologies. Anything that allows collaborative work be ok in my book. Google is famous for this and often is the best solution for group working together because they can share the same documents, or workspace.
Reference
Yates, R. (2005). Web site accessibility and usability: Towards more functional sites for all. Campus –Wide Information Systems, 22(4), 180-188. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global.
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteI read your blog and found it quite interesting. I especially enjoyed your take on the impact that technology has on adult learning.
First, you spoke about it(technology) and online learning shaping the way we learn. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Through the use of the internet students have access to a lifetime of knowledge. Students no longer have to be totally dependent on instructors to hand out knowledge, they can go after it themselves.
And, yes, I have never thought of it in quite that way, but technology is an extension of us. It is available to us to use in whatever capacity we would like and to whatever extent we desire. I would say that you summed it up nicely by saying that technology allows us to "paint our expressions."
You also referred to an opportunity for students to "pretend" to take online classes. I've never heard of this concept. I guess it could be a good thing for first-timers.
David,
ReplyDeleteI love this line, "I guess what I am trying to say is technology affords us the opportunity to “paint” our expression in the world around us." As you also states technology is an extension who and what we are anymore. I can visualize technology as the paintbrush in our hands as we create and interact with the world around us. It is a very elegant and beautiful way to look at technology and the world around us. Now I cannot help but think of jobs where technology is literally an extension such as the amazing breakthroughs they are having with robotic assisted surgery where the robot arms take place of, and yet become, the surgeon's arms and hands. Educators need to look at technology as it were part of them and it would also make it seem more natural to the learners.
Reesa Blakes
ReplyDeleteBlog Response - http://onlinestratsforadultlearners.blogspot.com/
Hi David
Your blog was nice reading and informative. Technology is in every part of the world society takes advantages of its use. I am not as fast paste in grasping technology tools but I am constant about learning. Online classes which implements and provide varieties of technology to learn, that allows individuals from all walks of life to teach, learn and living in any part of the world. Through laptops, video, tables, etc. learners are able to communicate and express themselves. It builds self-confidence helping many to unleash their voice and engage in their online class.
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.